Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-01
| HOW Is THE STATE DEMOCRACY
PREPARING FOR lSSSf

~ YIN $1,000
1t will not be long till the election of
IssS is upon us. Indeed the signal guns
of the contest have already been fired.
The Republican leaders are getting their
forces in shape, and the battle will be the
fercest that has ever been fought in the
politics of our State.
Without giving undue aus for fear or
for encouragement to either party, We be-
lieve it can be truthlully said that in ISIS,
that party will carry the State which is
most thoroughly organized and equipped,
while the party that is DIVIDED by olsen
siOnS and chickering's, will be routed. If
the we'll organized and unified party is the
Democracy, it will be triumphant; if it Is
the discordant party, defeat is imminent.
The party vote has become too close for
either party that values its salvation to
disregard the laws OF cause and effect.
What are the two parties doing for the
coming struggle?
The Republican leaders are watching the
| situation like lynXes. They are getting
their party organization in working order
throughout the State. They are making
every effort in their power to allay diSSen-
sion in their ranks, and are seeking allies
from every source possible. They are
leaving no stone unturned to gain an adj
vantage over the Democracy. For exam
pie, they are ut present trying to widen
the breach in the Democracy ut Charleston.
They call the eleven dissenting Democrats
young gods, and flatter and caiole them
with mellitluOuS words. Meanwhile they
laugh in their sleeves and chuck one an
another under the ribs, expressing their
infinite qualification at how well they are
working their dupes.
All these things mean votes for the Re
publican party, unless the Democracy op
poses with equal force.
But how is it with the Democracy? Are
Democrats quieting their disSensionS, clos
ing up their ranks and strengthening their
forces? 1t doesn't look much like it down
at Charleston. There we have the novel
spectacle OF the tail trying to wag the dog,
instead OF the custom that has been in
vogue for time immemOrial, of the dog
wagging the tail. Furthermore the tail
swrars that unless the dog will consent to
be wagged it will call in some other dog
aud knock the Democratic dog, tail and
all, into mincemeat.
This is the way the Democrats are begin
ming the campaign of lSSS. DiSsension
and lethargy did the party much harm
last election, and had it not been for
special efforts made by Mr.. CAMDEN and
his friends in organizing the party incoun-
ties along the Ohio, the Republicans would
quently the United States Senator.
But the actions of the eleven members OF
the Legislature, who refuse tn abide by the
decision of the majority, of some State OIL
cialS and Democrats who are egging them
on and trying to widen the breach, will, if
persisted in work infinitely more harm to
the party than anything that has happened
for years. We are not assuming the role
of alarmiSt, when we say that the contin-
uation of such tactics will. just rs sure rs
night follows day. insure the defeat OF the
party in ISIS. The dissenting Democrats,
it they pause to think, can certainly see
this.
Isn't it about time Democrats were
quitting such suicidal folly? Hadn't the
party throughout the State better begin
counting harmony instead of discOrd? Isn't
it time that the party was strengthening it
self by organization? Or do Democrats i'll
tend to continue in their present course
and make defeat inevitable?